by MATHILDE RABBAT

Village Molokai is an area in the centre of Kinshasa’s Matongue district in the Congo Republic, sprouting a number of members of the Congolese art scene. Closer to home, it’s lent its name to the new African joint on Parc, right between between Mont-Royal and Villeneuve.

This restaurant is strictly a one-man operation. From greeting the hungry folks who walk through his door, to cooking and serving, the charming manager/cook/waiter does it all without breaking a sweat.

If a diet rich in Omega 3 is what you’re looking for, look no further. Village Molokaï’s menu featuring braised cod, pike, tilapia and quail, among others, will blast your system with the stuff. If you’re a Finding Nemo fan who prefers to eat your fish in stick form only, when ordering the tilapia you might want to request to have it sliced up for you before the whole thing, head and all, is presented to you on a platter. But make no bones about it—it’s all good. The meat on this little bugger is a little firmer than what you may be familiar with, since it had previously been preserved in salt—the best way to import these fish from Africa. It certainly wasn’t lacking in flavour, however, due at least in part to its onion, ginger and spice stuffing.

The makaya bu, which differs considerably from the tilapia, also deserves an honourable mention. It’s a tomato-based sauce with sliced onion- and green pepper-coated pieces of sectioned cod—skin, bones and all. Besides a few vegetable dishes, the only other non-fish item featured on the list of mains ($5–$10) is the braised goat ($10).

You can savour any of the aforementioned main plates, or one like them, for a mere $15, along with some vegetables and a side-dish of your choice which would otherwise set you back $5 a pop. Side dishes showcase very tasty, caramel-coloured fried plantains and starchy selections like rice or fufu (dried manioc pounded into flour). It’s an African specialty that can best be described as a mild tasting, warm, soft mound of pale dough on top of which more potent shredded or mashed preparations like the bitekuteku (resembling cooked spinach leaves in both appearance and taste) can be poured.

My favourite vegetable preparation was without a doubt the pondu, a pulverized manioc leaf concoction served with the pili-pili, a very delicious, fiery hot paste of red chillies spiked with a touch of ginger.

Fumbwa ($5), another typical Congolese dish, is mainly prepared with a popular variety of eatable leafy vegetable that grows wild in the forest over there. The palm oil and peanut used to marinate the leaves provide a nice touch without overpowering the fibrous greens. But that’s not all—fish makes an appearance yet again in this dish, but this time it has slowly been smoked over embers, only to be incorporated later with the fumbwa, which has finely been shredded by hand.

Pimped out DVD music videos that prominently display gyrating African booties that make J-Lo’s backside look like a couple of Spanish tangerines are plastered all over a large television screen towards the rear of the joint.

That said, you get the feeling no concessions were made to especially cater to a Western clientele—from the food to the flexible hours of operation—which, as Martha would say, is a good thing. What you get, then, is some authentic Congolese grub with its unique take on fish and veggies specific to the region. Cradled between bulkier establishments that overshadow its tiny frame, this place is one of Mile-End’s best kept secrets and certainly worth a visit.

Village Molokaï
ADDRESS: 4603 du Parc
PHONE: 845-0172
HOURS: Flexible, but open from “about 2:30 p.m.
till at least 10 p.m.” every day but Tuesday.
BEST FEATURES: Authentic fish recipes incorporating
Congolese ingredients, good portions, it’s friendly
and everything’s under $10.
ALCOHOL: Yes
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Small step in
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Fish, anyone?
CREDIT CARDS: Cash and debit only
NON-SMOKING SECTION: Yes
PRICE: $20 per head after tax, tip and drinks
RATING: *** out of ****